情形很糟，但无论如何还是没有达到最糟的地步。 The conditions are bad, but not as bad as they might be, by a long way.
接着我就说，我从来就不知道美国三军的力量削弱到如此危险的地步，我这话可引起了轩然大波。 I then said that I had never known the Services reduced to such a parlous condition. This fairly set the cat among the pigeons.